The president and his Secretary of Warlike Gestures dragged generals and admirals to Quantico from all corners of the Earth to be harangued by a third-generation draft dodger and a guy who pledged on his own skin his loyalty to Pope Urban II. For example, from The Guardian:

“We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military—national guard, but military—because we’re going into Chicago very soon, that’s a big city with an incompetent governor,” Trump said, attacking Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker.

Training grounds? American cities are training grounds? Chicago as Parris Island? Los Angeles as a live-fire exercise? All that ridicule about “war-ravaged” Portland must’ve really stung. From the speech:

Our inner cities, which we’ll be talking about because it’s a big part of war now, a big part of war ... San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles … we’re going to straighten them out one by one. It will be a major part for some of the people in this room. It’s a war too. It’s a war from within. America is under invasion from within. No different than a foreign enemy but more difficult in many ways because they don’t wear uniforms.

Christamighty, he wants to make war on ... us. He thinks we’re the Vietcong.

We have the strongest military anywhere in the world. We have great leadership. … We got many of them out of here too. We got many of you out of here. We weren’t satisfied. We know everything about everybody.

Back to The Guardian:

Trump’s speech was packed with campaign references to his electoral victory and the perceived shortcomings of his political adversaries. The assemblage of uniformed officers sat stonefaced, expressionless, and inscrutable with few smiles. Trump’s attacks on Joe Biden were met with silence. Some of his lines elicited polite ripples of laughter.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Warlike Gestures went full G.I. Joe in front of an audience that reacted in a way that differed little from an oil painting of Lincoln’s commanders.

In contrast, Hegseth’s address focused on military culture and philosophical doctrine. Decrying “the insane fallacy that diversity is our strength,” Hegseth said he had chosen to fire previous generals because they had been personally invested in progressive ideas about diversity.
“It’s nearly impossible to change a culture with the same people helped create or even benefited from that culture,” he said, adding that he expects others to leave. “If the words that you hear today make your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign.”

However, like his boss, Hegseth cannot resist the temptation to strike a pose.

Rather than record the equivalent of a Ted Talk video or send an email, Hegseth chose to deliver a theatrically-incendiary speech meant as much for a wider political audience as it was for men and women wearing stars on their shoulders. Hegseth took potshots at former chief of staff Mark Milley and scattered jingoism throughout his address.
“Should our enemies choose foolishly to challenge us, they will be crushed by the violence, precision and ferocity of the war department,” Hegseth said. “To our enemies, FAFO,” he said referring to the acronym for “fuck around and find out.”

Observers noted that Hegseth paused after delivering this line, as if waiting for applause. It never came.

Hegseth used this gathering to impress the need for a risk-taking culture and a return to physical and appearance standards set in 1990. Permission to wear a beard—a shaving profile—will be broadly rescinded for everyone except special forces troops. Women in combat roles will be expected to meet the same physical standards as men. “War does not care if you are a man or a woman,” Hegseth said.
Drill sergeants will be empowered to swear and conduct “shark attack” type-training, during which instructors gang up on a recruit and shout at them, Hegseth said. Basic training should be “scary, tough, and disciplined. We’re empowering drill sergeants to instil healthy fear in new recruits.” Hegseth also said the rules of engagement would be reviewed. “We untie the hands of our war fighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement. Just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for war fighters.”

God, what a putz. Up there starring in the war movie running in his mind, his crusader tattoo throbbing on his chest while accomplished military leaders sit there and count backward from 1,000 in their heads. This puppet show needs a lot of work.